Current account balance in Lesotho
Lesotho: Current account balance was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Current account balance in Lesotho, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, current account balance in Lesotho stood at -0.2%.
The figure is down 104.1% on the previous year and up 97.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, current account balance in Lesotho peaked at 62.3% in 1987 and was at its lowest, -23.1%, in 1976.
That places Lesotho 81st out of 199 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Current account balance in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | -0.7% | — |
| 1976 | -23.1% | +3097.8% |
| 1977 | -4.8% | -79.4% |
| 1978 | 3.2% | -167.1% |
| 1980 | 13.1% | +308.9% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -92.5% |
| 1982 | 38.0% | +3761.7% |
| 1983 | 43.8% | +15.3% |
| 1984 | 47.8% | +9.2% |
| 1985 | 52.9% | +10.6% |
| 1986 | 43.2% | -18.4% |
| 1987 | 62.3% | +44.3% |
| 1988 | 23.3% | -62.6% |
| 1989 | 14.3% | -38.6% |
| 1990 | 17.0% | +19.0% |
| 1991 | -16.9% | -199.3% |
| 1992 | -19.7% | +16.3% |
| 1993 | -12.4% | -36.8% |
| 1994 | -2.9% | -76.8% |
| 1995 | -15.3% | +431.5% |
| 1996 | -22.8% | +49.3% |
| 1997 | -22.9% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | -21.9% | -4.5% |
| 1999 | -18.3% | -16.6% |
| 2000 | -8.7% | -52.5% |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -139.9% |
| 2002 | 8.2% | +136.7% |
| 2003 | -1.5% | -118.1% |
| 2004 | 1.8% | -218.4% |
| 2005 | 5.7% | +223.4% |
| 2006 | 12.0% | +111.0% |
| 2007 | 18.1% | +51.2% |
| 2008 | 15.7% | -13.4% |
| 2009 | -2.9% | -118.7% |
| 2010 | -11.0% | +273.5% |
| 2011 | -11.9% | +7.8% |
| 2012 | -18.8% | +58.3% |
| 2013 | -10.8% | -42.7% |
| 2014 | -8.4% | -21.7% |
| 2015 | -5.7% | -31.9% |
| 2016 | -10.5% | +83.2% |
| 2017 | -9.0% | -14.2% |
| 2018 | -5.6% | -37.6% |
| 2019 | -7.5% | +32.6% |
| 2020 | -5.9% | -21.0% |
| 2021 | -8.1% | +38.0% |
| 2022 | -11.4% | +40.5% |
| 2023 | -7.1% | -37.7% |
| 2024 | 3.7% | -152.5% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | -104.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | -6.4% | -23.1% | 3.2% | 4 |
| 1980s | 34.0% | 1.0% | 62.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | -13.6% | -22.9% | 17.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | -8.7% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | -9.9% | -18.8% | -5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | -4.8% | -11.4% | 3.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Services, value added (constant LCU), per capita 5,937 constant LCU per person (2025)
- GDP deflator (base year varies by country), annual growth rate 3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 9.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.8725 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 950.1 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 6.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 15.61 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 16,996 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 2.65 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.8589 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is current account balance in Lesotho?
- Current account balance in Lesotho was -0.2% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest current account balance recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 62.3% in 1987.
- What is the lowest current account balance recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was -23.1% in 1976.
- How does Lesotho rank for current account balance?
- Lesotho ranks 81st out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is current account balance rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 97.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Current account balance (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Balance of current transactions (transactions in goods and services, earned income and transfer income) between residents and non-residents. The term current account balance is used in the external accounts and is expressed from the perspective of resident units. The term current external balance is used in the national accounts and is expressed from the perspective of the non-resident units, and therefore with the opposite sign. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.